INTRODUCTION

White Aster of Love is a limited edition of the lyrical poetry of Iryna Senyk and features her exquisite embroidered dress patterns for contemporary fashions.

Iryna Senyk was born in Lviv, Ukraine, in 1926. During her university years she was arrested and languished for twenty horrific years as a political prisoner in Soviet hard-labour camps. Indescribable suffering, hunger, degradation, failed to crush her invincible spirit

This spirit is dramatically expressed in Senyk's poetry. Her burning love of beauty and of colour is reflected her delicate embroidery and the artistic ornamentation that accompanies her verses.

Numerous photographs illustrate the ways that Ukrainian embroidery can be fashionably adapted to elegant styles.

To commemorate the Centennial of Ukrainian Immigration to Canada, the Ukrainian Catholic Women's League of Canada at St. Demetrius Church in Etobicoke, Ontario, has published White Aster of Love. Our intrepid Ukrainian pioneers left a rich cultural and spiritual legacy. To foster this precious gift, we offer White Aster of Love.

In gratitude, we return to Ukraine a veritable treasure: the poetry and embroidery of a talented daughter, Iryna Senyk.

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